January - let us begin

Welcome! Here follows a monthly nudge of positive energy. After four years of self development learning and alcohol free adventuring as I trained to become a coach I conclude that, for me, energy is the key. Whatever my endeavours, however pressed I am for time, wherever my heart or mind leads me, positive energy is required, and with a sieve like memory at times, a monthly nudge is in order. There are so many elements to our lives and I believe my mental load is no different to the next person.? Life is incredibly demanding and constantly invites us to get on board with different projects, moving us in different and often opposing directions. We are shifting constantly so my monthly check in offers an opportunity to regain that focus. I will share templates, tools and ideas to support in regaining your focus each month to ensure you make 2024 a year full of positive energy! If you are interested in the alcohol free space (info at the end) then this is also a great way to distract yourself and change your mindset from "giving up alcohol" to "ditching alcohol" and gaining renewed mental headspace to get cracking on 2024!

TIME AND SPACE TO REFLECT

I came to the end of 2023 and finally gave myself time to reflect. I was lucky enough to spend new year in the sun with my family. What this did for me was lead me to approach the start of the new year differently: instead of hurriedly launching into a set of new goals or habits that I would be pressured to keep for 365 days, I had to wait as I wasn't on home turf. As I sat on the beach I realised (as we often do when we stop) how exhausted I was.? I hadn’t noticed the mental drain this year had imposed.? Here I was trying to shift the needle in my alcohol coaching, support the voluntary space and build content for my courses whilst continuing with my finance work and managing my family. Then add Christmas and the associated pressures and I was in no state to plan any 2024 goals. First I needed to acknowledge how far I had come and what I had unwittingly let go of and then create something meaningful for 2024.

GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT

Until my holiday, I hadn't paused for any length of time to reflect. This had created a constant pressure in my mind to keep striving and with an endless stream of possible action points my rest and reset time was shrinking. I realised that I had made so many changes in 2023 but hadn't stopped to let them sink in properly to my life or consider whether anything needed to shift. So having spent a lovely week reminding myself of all the great things that had happened in 2023 - from the smallest wins to the big changes, I choose to spend January reflecting and extracting elements to take forward with a promise to myself to shine a light each month and reflect on successes. How does that sound?

So 2024 is the year to bring it back. I won't set annual goals but will take a monthly approach to identifying and maintaining "the essence of me" and checking in with the positive energy required to achieve that. I invite you to join me....

JANUARY ACTION: MOVING WITH THE MONTHLY LIFE SHIFTS

Whenever life shifts our minds take a while to catch up, to process and to reorder everything. So let's recalibrate. How do you want this month to look? Not the whole year, just this month and a few months forward. What elements will be your new focus?

So please gently settle in to 2024. Take this month to consider the following:

1. Non negotiables - what elements do you want firmly on board -for me I need exercise to take more of a prominent feature and journaling (more on that next month)
2. Eliminations what elements are holding you back, bringing down your energy levels? How can you get rid of these or limit their impact? Holding me back is the endless "to do" list as I grow my business. I need to put a fence around that. Yes it’s endless but I am only going to give a finite amount of time to it. I am going back to the great Greg McKeown and his book Essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less to help me. I need to find a way to cut out the unnecessary to free up time for the non negotiables
3. New focus - What might you want to focus on for the first few months of this year? I am reviewing eating habits as these are so often the first to slip. I shall report back next month but let's say sugar is taking a back seat for me and I am investigating "green juice" and air fried banana chips in an attempt to combat the cravings!
4. Your words - what words evoke how you want to feel each day? words to inspire your mind switch? Don't worry, you can change these whenever you want. But what are you feeling right now? For me it would be self belief, clutter free, vitality.
5. Recent wins: take a quick moment to reflect on a few recent wins. A positive chat with one of your children, conscious connection with friends, work wins, health wins? Reflecting back directs your mind to be positively focused.

THE ALCOHOL FREE SPACE

My passion lies here so each month we will touch on this space. On this month's topic of arrival I would like to relate it to trying the alcohol free life, either as a challenge or a more permanent lifestyle. In those early days be kind - you have just arrived in the alcohol free space so don't be expected to know how to act right away. You will need to find your feet, to adjust your life, to bring in new distractions. That is the intention of my rethinking alcohol rediscovering energy course - to allow you the space to bring in distractions whilst giving you the knowledge to support this move. This is an ongoing course so you can sign up at any time.

So that leaves me to say I hope you enjoy January, wrap up warm if you are in the UK and gently ease yourself into the year.

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH?

I would love to hear from you if you are interested in the alcohol free space or positive energy coaching, either for individual or organisation. I offer a free 15 minute clarity call to talk through the best way I can support you. Or send me an email:

[email protected]

[email protected]

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On the subject of energy

On the subject of alcohol